I am Loved

The kids baked me birthday cakes today.  That's right -- cake(s).  Each  had a Vision, and there was no compromise in sight, so I told them that what I Really wanted was two cakes.  Fortunately our book group will be meeting here tomorrow, so we will have some help in eating all that sugary goodness!

When I was a little girl I once got my (very long) hair caught up in the mixer.  Katie likes the story (poor little mommy!), and here she is demonstrating her version of the way the thing happened (poor, stupid little mommy!).  Actually, it was a stand mixer, and I was just leaning too close.  But her version is more exciting!

And here is Travis baking.  Don't ask me why my kids are posing with wide open mouths. 

And here he is, frosting his cake.  The frosting part of the cake making got kind of chaotic, with powdered sugar and food coloring flying in all directions.  But it all turned out right in the end.

 Here Ed and Katie are planning their cake.  They worked together, though Ed found that he was Not the director.

Here is Katie's (and Ed's) cake.

And here is Travis's...

That is Gandalf, sliding off the cake on the left.  Frodo is in back, and Sam is hidden behind Gandalf.  There is a "4" on each cake.  Tomorrow we will put the cakes side by side, so they will show all my 44 years, and I will blow both out at the same time.  At least, that is the plan.  And then I will cut both at the same time and taste both at the same time.  Because otherwise one of my children will know that I love the other one better and will be scarred for life.  Sigh.  It is good to be loved.